Exclusive
'FAME-HUNGRY'
Curtis Pritchard treated me like doormat & made me fake break up, he’s obsessed with stardom, says Love Island star’s ex
Sophie says her ex will be thrilled to be getting attention from Love Island icon Ekin-Su
CURTIS PRITCHARD’S ex-lover claims she was once manipulated into faking a break-up with the Love Island star in his desperate bid for reality TV fame.
Sophie Sheridan has accused the 28-year-old dancer of causing her “psychological trauma” and “treating me like a doormat” in his obsession with stardom.
6
6
6
It comes as the reality hunk has been seen by millions of viewers getting together with Ekin-Su Culculoglu in the current series of ITV2’s Love Island All Stars.
Sophie, 24, today reveals how Curtis convinced her to pretend they had split up in 2023 so he could land a contract to go on another format of the reality show, Love Island Games.
But then on that spin-off, even though they were still in a relationship, he got together with Swedish blonde bombshell Lisa Celander, later kissing her in bed.
Sophie said: “When he was on Love Island Games it was so difficult but he convinced me to pretend we weren’t together any more because he needed the money for our future. Everyone thinks if you’ve been on Love Island you’re filthy rich, but that’s not the case, so I felt pressure to go along with his plan.
READ MORE ON LOVE ISLAND
“He always told me it was for the best that we kept our relationship private because I wasn’t in the public eye and he didn’t want anything affecting our relationship.
‘Not over it yet’
“Like any other girl would, I wanted to share some of our really nice pictures together but he told me I couldn’t post anything on social media.
“He wanted us kept under wraps.
“It was very tough for a long time after he got back from filming The Games. It’s like psychological trauma and, to be honest, I don’t really think I’m over it yet.”
Most read in Love Island
When he was on Love Island Games it was so
Sophie Sheridan
difficult but he convinced me to pretend we weren’t together any more because he needed the money
When Curtis returned from filming Love Island Games in Fiji, the couple resumed their relationship.
But he dumped Sophie in October last year after he was offered a deal to go on the current Love Island All Stars series, which launched last month.
Inside Love Island Curtis’ secret family feud as he reveals he CUT OFF his mum in shock revelation
Devastated Sophie, who started dating Curtis in 2021, told The Sun on Sunday: “He knew I would never have let him put me through that again, so when Love Island All Stars casting came ar- ound again, it was a convenient timing for him to announce he had broken up with me.
“Since Curtis has been on All Stars, I have been getting so many messages from people begging me not to get back with him again because they think that’s what I did after Love Island Games. But that is not what happened.
“We were together for almost three years and only just broke up in October.
“If he hadn’t been so disrespectful towards me and our relationship, then I wouldn’t feel the need to finally tell the truth.”
Sophie was left blindsided in October when Curtis broke it off, months after they had enjoyed a romantic holiday in St Lucia in the Caribbean.
They have not spoken since.
She says she only found out on social media about his signing for Love Island All Stars when the line-up was announced earlier this month, with host Maya Jama claiming on screen that he was “fresh” from a break-up.
Curtis has been at the centre of villa drama this week, after his head was turned by Danielle Sellers.
She then chose to “steal” Curtis from Ekin-Su in a recoupling.
After a row, Ekin-Su chucked her drink towards Curtis and stormed off.
Before going into the villa, Curtis defended himself over the split with Sophie, saying he had known it was not right for a while and that he ended the relationship because he “didn’t want to cheat”.
But Sophie has slammed the “convenient” timing.
She said: “We’d spoken about the future, about getting married and having kids, but then suddenly it was over.
“I knew straight away he would be going on Love Island All Stars because he was asked the year before.
“He knew I wouldn’t fake another break-up. I need to stand up for myself and actually tell the truth because I’ve just been a doormat for nearly three years.
“It’s like the wool was pulled over my eyes but now I’m out of the relationship I can finally see clearly. I don’t love him any more and I don’t want to be with him. He doesn’t deserve my kindness.
“It’s just been hard reliving it all over again now that he’s on All Stars. It does hurt me that he’s been so disrespectful.”
6
6
Curtis found fame on Love Island series five in 2019 when he broke the heart of fan favourite Amy Hart, dumping her and moving on with Maura Higgins.
They were together for eight months before they split in March 2020.
He and Sophie met when they were starring in pantomime together in Wolverhampton in 2021.
Meanwhile, Curtis, who competed as a pro dancer on Ireland’s Dancing With The Stars for two series, has jumped straight back into reality TV.
He is currently coupled up with bombshell contestant Ekin-Su, who won the 2022 series of Love Island with Italian Davide Sanclimenti.
Curtis has already sexily kissed Ekin-Su’s neck in front of the villa, had her perform a fake orgasm on his lap during a racy challenge, and passionately snogged her in bed.
Sophie says her ex will be thrilled to be getting attention from such a show legend.
She added: “I know his game plan because we spoke about it previously. I think his view is, ‘It’s a job so I’m going to give them the best show possible’.
“For Curtis, going on All Stars is motivated by money and boosting his career. He wants to be a millionaire by the time he’s 30 and is obsessed with fame.
“He loves people knowing who he is, and he also wants the money that comes with that.
“I think he’s very unhappy within himself and is focusing on fame and money to distract himself from that. With Ekin-Su it’s a really weird match, especially because she said that she’s friends with his ex [Maura], but I think he’ll probably try to stay with her throughout.
“She’s a big character and he knows he’ll get air time. I think she can handle herself though.
“She’s strong and feisty, but she should know he’s definitely not in there to find true love.”
Curtis has been working in theatre while doing dance shows with his Strictly star brother AJ Pritchard.
The pair went viral in 2021 when they made a cameo appearance as twins Marco and Jacob in the E4 soap Hollyoaks — and were ridiculed online by fans for their “wooden” acting.
AJ, who was a professional dancer on Strictly for three years, im- mediately quit being an actor following the online backlash.
Curtis brought up the mortifying Hollyoaks experience to Ekin-Su on All Stars last week, admitting: “Our acting on that was GCSE quality.”
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Sophie said: “He’s acting like the good guy, but as we’ve all seen in the past — he’s not that good an actor.
“And his fans are beginning to see through it.”
6
Topics